Sauce: Some frank talk about coffee uses and fundraisers

Share with others:

• Coffee.org sends a release titled "5 Unexpected Uses for Coffee," most of which involved getting rid of smells, which is odd because coffee breath can be pretty bad. Tips include rubbing coffee beans on your hands after handling garlic or fish; pouring a cup of grounds mixed with boiling water down your drain to unstink it; using grounds to clean "any stain resistant surface" (really?); adding grounds around your plants or in your compost pile to help them thrive (my late grandmother swore by this); and sucking on a coffee bean to freshen your breath. Why that works and drinking coffee does the opposite, I have no idea.

• Franktuary, 325 Oliver Ave., Downtown, has acquired a six-wheeled diesel vending truck with a kitchen, making it mobile. The staff invites you to invite them to serve up their grub, which includes organic and vegetarian tube choices, at your place if you have enough attendees and 13 feet of overhead clearance. So, probably not in your living room. Follow Franktuary at twitter.com/franktuary (which will take you to franktuary.com, which can be pretty funny). The place recently debuted Carrot Dogs.

• Chipotle Mexican Grill says to send any e-mail you don't want to nojunk@chipotlejunk.com. For each 100,000 junk e-mails it gets (one week's contents of your in-box?) it will donate $10,000 to The Lunch Box. The donation will help bring school-tested, junk-free recipes created by Chef Ann Cooper to school children. The No Junk campaign continues, through August, until Chipotle gets 1 million junk e-mails and ships out $100,000. Chipotle says no e-mail addresses will be captured and no junk e-mails will be read, although those who forward them can sign up for -- irony alert -- Chipotle's e-mail list. For more on The Lunch Box and its parent organization, Food, Family and Farming Foundation, go to foodfamilyfarming.org.

• "Pittsburgh's only bacon event, "Bacon Bash," will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 14 at the Harris Grill, 5747 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside, 412-362-5273. $35 per ticket includes appetizers and small plates, a beverage ticket and optional entry in the bacon-eating contest. Menu includes bacon pierogies, chocolate-covered bacon and bacon shot glasses filled with cheesy mashed potatoes. This news comes from Jason Mosley, known as Mr. Baconpants (mrbaconpants.com). Read more about him in the PG archives, where he was quoted last year as saying, "Bacon lovers are kinda weird."

• Even more porker: Chef Charles Smith's Grill Out! Caribbean-Style Event, 7 to 10:30 p.m. tomorrow, will feature a Cuban-style Pig Roast, among other things. It will be at the Hosanna House Clubhouse, 400 Sherwood Road, Forest Hills, and a portion of the proceeds benefits the nonprofit Hosanna House, hosannahouse.org. Tickets, $30. Menu also includes Jamaican chicken, sangria and beer (BYOB also permitted), Brazilian salad bar and gourmet tapas.

• The 16th Pittsburgh Blues Festival, benefiting the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, will be held tomorrow through Sunday at Hartwood Acres. Gates open at 4 p.m. tomorrow, 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The festival is the food bank's largest fundraiser. For ticket price information and schedules, see today's Weekend Mag in the PG. You also may go to pghblues.com or call 1-800-460-BLUE.